Trinity CEO Harris Oberlander said the goal is to help boost the city's median income by giving people from all walks of life — from military veterans, to immigrants to those returning from prison — the tools to tap careers in the modern economy.

"Why should the jobs at Nanotech and GlobalFoundries not go to ... our kids here in Albany?" Mayor Jerry Jennings asked.

The housing authority is contributing about $450,000 of its own money to the project, and the Citizens Bank Foundation on Thursday also pledged $20,000 toward programming there.